of learned ladies, and women turned scholars and philosophers. We have not yet imported this folly, and we believe that it never existed amongst us in sufficient frequency to give any effect to the dramatic ridicule of it.

The course of our dramatic review now leads us to say a few words upon Gay, the author of two Operas; one of which keeps possession of the stage, and will continue to keep it as long as it lasts, whilst the other has scarcely less merit, though certainly less interest.

Gay was a writer who possessed the most brilliant talents, and whose talents were cultivated by the converse and friendship of all the eminent men of the day. He is chiefly distinguishable for his wit, which he possessed in every shape, and more particularly in the burlesque. The Beggars' Opera is written in this style of humour. There are two kinds of burlesque. In the one, the low and mean are raised to a mock dignity, by being invested in the habiliments which peculiarly belong to rank and distinction. This is the comic burlesque. In the other, rank and distinction are degraded by having as their adjuncts what belongs to a mean condition.

The Beggars' Opera is in the style of the former. Low characters are raised to a mock consequence and dignity, and are rendered ridiculous by speaking the language, the sentiments, and the tone of the superior

ranks.

There is a double humour, however, in The Beggars Opera. It is a caricature of the absurdities of the Italian Opera, and a burlesque upon the Opera House, as well as upon the Court. The humour is sufficiently intelligible without being broad. Every one perceives it, and yet every one imagines that he has made a discovery. The Beggars Opera, moreover, will always please by means of its old music. It is the nature of old tunes that they revive the idea of early times, and usually delight the fancy with pastoral images, the tunes being associated with songs, the words and images of which necessarily rise before the fancy at the same time with the musical notes.

Polly is an Opera in the same style. The burlesque of the habits, language, and manners of genteel life, by associating them with the babits and characters of Botany Bay convicts. Polly, however, has nothing near the vigour of The Beggars' Opera. It is a mere imitation of it, and Polly at Botany Bay is very far from Polly in England.

It has sometimes been a matter of question, whether the representation of The Beggars

Opera be not unfavourable to public morals? Perhaps this question cannot be answered decidedly in the negative. It certainly does not degrade the character of a thief or highway. man, and it surely must be in some degree mischievous, to connect these crimes into pleasantries.

The course of our theatrical review next leads us to Sir Richard Steele, a writer, to which the theatres are as much indebted as the town; a writer, who employed a most active mind in giving a form and shape to the manners of the times. This merit, which originated in the Spectator, belongs entirely to Sir Richard Steele; it was he that first instituted a species of writing, which has done more to improve the taste and morals of society, than the heavier books of the philosophers. Who is there of decent education, who has not read the Spectator, the Guardian, and the Tatler? and who, having read, will be backward in allowing the merit of Sir Richard Steele?

Sir Richard is now known as a dramatic writer by two Comedies, The Conscious Lovers, and The Funeral. The Conscious Lovers has this great merit, that it was the first play of the kind which was ever introduced to the stage, and whatever may be said of that sad and mournful tribe to which it has given origin in its imitators, it must never be denied that The Conscious Lovers of Stecle is as admirable in its polished elegance, as for its excellent morals. This moral, indeed, is not so much included in the fable, as impressed upon all the characters. The Conscious Lovers, in deed, in this point of view, is the worthy offspring of the writers of the Spectator.

The characters of Bevil and Indiana have passed through so many shapes and modes in the hands of imitators, that even the effect of the original has been impaired, and even Bevil and Inidana are seen with tediousness and disgust from the remembrance of the tribe to which they have given birth. If Bevil, however, be examined in the closet, he will be seen to be all that can be elegant and accomplished in the gentleman; gay without frivolity, elegant without being superficial, and strict and correct without rigour and formality. The ground-work of this play is the Andrea of Terence, and if any doubt the merit of Steele, let them read Terence. Indeed, Pope himself has not more improved upon Homer, than Sir Richard Steele, in his Conscious Lovers, has improved upon Terence.

The Andrea of Terence, however, has led Steele into au uniformity not suitable to English taste, nor even to modern life. Nothing

could be more insipid than the women of the ancient comedy, and even than the ancient plots. The reason of this character is, that women were never introduced in person on the stage, the female characters being all performed by men habited as women. The consequence was, that the audience wished to have as little of them as possible, and the writer in obediènce to their tastes, threw them entirely into the back ground.

With respect to The Funeral, or Grief-a la Mode, it is now never acted, and therefore does not fall within our purpose or object. It is lively, elegant, active, and full of humour and natural satire.

(To be continued.)

WORKS IN THE PRESS. Travels in Iceland, in the year 1810, is in the press, in a quarto volume, with plates. It

will contain the observations made in that

island, during last summer, by Sir George Mackenzie, Bart. Mr. Holland, and Mr. Bright; with an introductory chapter on the general history of Iceland.

The Rev. H. B. Wilson is preparing for the press, in a quarto volume, a History of Merchant Tailors' School, London, from its foundation to the present time, including the lives of the eminent men who have been educated there, and embellished with some of their portraits.

Mr. Bawdwen has nearly ready for the press, a volume of his translation of Domesday Book, which comprises the counties of Middlesex, Hertford, Buckingham, Oxford, and Gloucester. There will be an Index to each county,

and the editor proposes having part of the impression made up for sale in separate counties, for the convenience of those whom it may not suit to purchase the whole volume.

Mr. Johu Nichols will publish in the course of next month, in a quarto volume, the History, Topography, and Antiquities of the parish of Islington, in Middlesex; illustrated by fifteen engravings, and including biographical sketches of several eminent and remarkable persons.

Dr. Hayter's Report to the Prince Regent, of his literary mission to the Court of Naples, relative to the Herculaneau MSS. will appear in a few days, in a thin royal quarto.

Mr. A. T. Thomson, surgeon, fellow of the Medical Society of London, &c. will shortly publish the London Dispensatory; containing

the elements and practice of materia, medica and pharmacy, a translation of the London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Pharmacopoeias, many useful tables, and engravings of the pharmaceutical apparatus.

Mr. Peck, of Bawtry, has in the press, a System of Veterinary Medicine and Therapeutics, on scientific principles, in two octavo volumės, with plates; the first volume is expected to appear soon.

The Rev. Thomas Jervis, of Leeds, has a volume of Sermons in the press,

Dr. Crotch has nearly ready for publication, Elements of Musical Composition, or Rules for writing and playing Thorough Bass.

Mr. J. J. Jones, organist of St. Ann's, Blackfriars, will shortly publish six Fugues, with introductions for the organ or piano-forte; dedicated, by permission, to his preceptor, Dr. Crotch.

Mr. Parkinson intends to publish in the course of next June, the third and concluding volume of Organic Remains of a former World, with twenty-three coloured plates.

Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion, translated by J. Allen, is proposed to be printed by subscription, in three octavo volumes.

Mr. H. Jacob, author of a Hebrew Grammar, and Mr. A. J. Valpy, intend to publish in two royal octavo volumes, a Hebrew Bible, with points, the text taken from VanderHooght, and the Latin translation of Arius Montanus interlined.

The Rev. Thomas Scott, rector of Aston Remarks on the Bishop of Lincoln's RefutaSandford, is preparing for the press, Detached

tion of Calvinism.

Dr. Busby has completed a translation, in rhyme, of the six books of Lucretius on the Nature of Things, which will be dedicated to Lord Grenville.

The Rev John Rudd will shortly publish a volume of Devotional Exercises for the use of congregations and families. He has also in forwardness, & Botanist's Guide through Lan cashire.

Mr. Lambert, who lately published his travels in Canada and the United States, had in the press au American work, entitled Salma gundi, or the Whim Whams and Opinious of Launcelott Langstaff, Esq. and others; to which he has added explanatory notes, and an introductory essay on the genius and charac ter of the Americans.

An edition of Bishop Taylor's History of the Life and Death of Christ, in two octave volumes, is nearly ready for publication.

PROVIDENTIAL ESCAPE.-A woman, of decent appearance, was on Monday, the 1st inst. bolding her child, not more than eighteen months old, on the coping stone of Blackfriar's Bridge, for the purpose of letting it see the boats that were passing; when, by some accident, the child slipped from her hands, and was precipitated into the river. To describe the agony of the almost frantic, but imprudent parent, would be impossible; she immediately rushed to the stairs, and was about to plunge into the water, when her infant was restored to her arms, without having sustained much more injury than a ducking, and a severe shock. To account for this providential, circumstance, it is only necessary to state, that the child having fallen within a few yards of a wherry that was going under the bridge, was fortunately seized by the boatman on its emerging from the water, and was thus preserved from a watery grave.

A SWINDLER. A man of gentlemanly appearance, about twenty-five years of age, and nearly six feet in height, with rather a handsome countenance, and who wears black whiskers, has, for some time past, obtained goods of different tradespeople by assuming false names, and pretending to be intimate with reputable families. He is prepared with blank checques of different banking houses, by which he obtains goods to nearly the amount of the checque given, and receives the change, after having asked after different families. He purchased a house in Baker-street lately for six thousand pounds, and having given one hundred in deposit, he sold it again to a neighbouring gentleman for five thousand, and obtained a deposit of five hundred pounds. He calls himself Sir George Hart, Rey. Win. Horne, and other names, and talks much of his estates on the lakes in Cumberland.

DREADFUL ACCIDENT.Monday, April 8, two houses in Ironmonger-row, Old-street, which, notwithstanding they were under repair, were crowded with inhabitants, fell down with a tremendous crash, while the workmen were gone to dinnou by this disaster, we lament to say,

:

that a great number of the innates were buried in the ruins. The London Militia, who were at the time exercising in the Artillery Ground, were immediately sent to aid the sufferers, and by dint of the most unwearied exertions, eleven persons were taken out, four of whom were dead, viz. a mother and three children named Crewe; the wounded persons were taken to St. Bartholomew's Hospital, most of them in a deplorable state.

FRAUD ON THE MARQUIS OF HEADFORT.Davenport Sedley, C. G. J. Kierrulf, and Edward Meyer (not yet in custody), were indicted at the Old Bailey Sessions for stealing several Bills of Exchange, the property of the Marquis of Headfort.-Mr. Alley said, the prosecutor was a noble. man of exalted rank, and splendid fortune, in the sister kingdom. The prisoners he knew not how to describe, or tell the Jury what they were; suffice it to say, that in the transaction which the Jury were now to inquire into, they represented themselves as dealers in money. It happened that some time back, the Noble Marquis, notwithstanding his extensive possessions, found himself pressed for some ready money, and desirous of not troubling any of his friends, he chose rather to pay for it, by obtaining it of those persons, who, having the command of money, make it their business to lend it to such as can afford to pay for the loan of it. A knowledge of this circumstance having reached Sedley, he formed a deep scheme to plunder the Marquis of his securities, under pretence of assisting him. With this view, he consulted with one Walker, then a prisoner in the Fleet, and they concerted their plan as follows:-Walker was to write to the Marquis, as from a man having the command of ready money, to offer him the loan of a large sum on common interest. This was done. The Marquis replied; but in such a wretched plight was Walker, that he had not even decent apparel to appear at the Marquis's, and therefore Sedley laid him aside. The next letter which came to the Marquis, which turned out to be the fabrication of Sedley, was from a man not in custody, of the name of Meyer, in which he proffered his assistance in the same way, stating himself to be a mercantile man, possessing a fund of ready money. He had in consequence an interview with the Marquis, and talked largely of his commercial dealings, proposed too that the Marquis should draw bills, which he would discount in the city, and make purchases of lives, &c. which could be sold again at little loss, which of course the Marquis must pay. His Lordship hesitated at this, and Meyer